The Globe and Mail's Leah McLaren on the realities of covering something like TIFF.

From a notebook item by The Globe and Mail's Johanna Schneller:

For a few years now, Canadian reporters have been pretty much shut out of print interviews with the biggest stars, having to cadge quotes from press conferences while their U.S. colleagues hog the one-on-one slots.

Now there's further evidence that print is a dying medium at TIFF: Even some of the biggest American print outlets seem to be feeling the pinch, with management shortening the purse strings on reporters' expenses.

Four staffers from People magazine, who used to stay at the Marriott on Bloor Street, have been bumped to the cheaper Marriott on Bay. ...

How are those poor bastards supposed to have any feelings of self-respect whatsoever if they find themselves isolated -- no, marooned -- way down at the Marriott on Bay?!?! That's by the Eaton Centre, for Christ's sake! :)

Some enterprising souls have started up Trash Palace, billing itself as "Toronto's classiest cinema." :)

They will be showing 16mm versions of some classic B cinema.

The one that caught my eye is Macon County Line, which will screen on Nov. 9 (the theatre's location is a closely guarded secret. You find out when you buy the ticket).

Max Baer Jr. (Jethro of The Beverly Hillbillies TV show fame) wrote, produced and starred in this 1974 tale of a nasty southern sheriff who mistakes some road trippers for murderous thugs.

One reason I remember this is because Baer suffered some reversals of financial fortune in the period before the film. This quote from one interview stuck with me: "I'm gonna make so much fuckin' money, they'll never be able to take it away from me!"

One should note that Macon County Line came on the heels of 1973's Walking Tall, starring Joe Don Baker. The two of them inspired a succession of southern hell movies. One would think Walking Tall should be coming to the Trash Palace at some future point. And what about Billy Jack?!?!

Another that caught my eye is Leslie Nielsen starring as a kung fu assassin in the 1978 film Project: Kill ("this is not a comedy," the flyer warns).

Do with this information what you will.

Peter Butala, a rancher in southwest Saskatchewan and husband of noted novelist Sharon Butala, died recently. Here's what caught my eye in the Globe and Mail obit: